Two new marine psammocinian sponges (Demospongiae: Dictyoceratida: Irciniidae) from Korea

Two new species of the genus Psammocinia (Dictyoceratida, Irciniidae), P. conulosa n. sp. and P. ulleungensis n. sp., are described from Namhaedo Island and Ulleungdo Island, Korea. Psammocinia conulosa n. sp. seems to be close to both P. amodes Cook and Bergquist, 1998 and P. hawere Cook and Bergquist, 1996 on the basis of the skeletal structure. However, these three species are clearly separated by the following differences: Shape of P. amodes is spatulate and thin, with a broad blade narrowing to a semi‐cylindrical stalk; P. hawere forms cups with a shallow excavated bowl, and attached to the substratum by a narrow base. The whole surface of the new species is very finely conulose. Psammocinia ulleungensis n. sp. is similar to P. gageoensis Sim and Lee, 2001 in shape, but this species is easily distinguished from P. gageoensis by the simple skeletal structure.